Top Ten Nutrition Tips for Everyday Health

Here are my top ten favorite tips for healthy eating all year long, with lots of amazing links to more helpful information.

This is by no means a complete list of guidelines but a few key things to get you started or keep you moving forward on the path toward healthy eating as a lifestyle.

1.) Drink plenty of water.Our bodies are about 60% water – with muscle mass carrying much more than fat tissue! We need to drink water to keep our body systems running smoothly, optimize metabolism, boost energy levels, and promote good digestion, just to name a few. Besides water, electrolytes are important especially if you exercise.

2.) Eat plenty of plants.These colorful gems provide essential phytonutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, minerals and enzymes – all of which are just as important for your health as the macronutrients we often hear about (think carbs, proteins and fats).

3.) Eat and drink often throughout the day.The jury is still out on whether 6 small meals or 3 meals is best so try to figure out what feels right for you. But overall, having high quality small snacks, “mini meals” or fresh juice during the day can help to boost energy and prevent over-eating.

4.) Eat mindfully.
Limit distractions and take time to experience eating and engage your senses. Up to 30-40% of nutrients may not be properly absorbed if you are distracted while eating. Like walking, watching TV, typing, working – all very common eating activities these days. Digestion begins in the brain so by looking at, thinking about and smelling your food, you can help your body benefit from the wonderful nutrients locked away in that meal while enjoying the experience even more!

6.) Seek local foods often and organic foods sometimes.
Local eating not only has more nutrients it can also save you money. You don’t have to get everything organic if that isn’t feasible, for some items it matters more (like apples and strawberries).

7.) Include healthy fats in your diet.
Eating fat doesn’t necessarily make you fat! Many immune supportive vitamins, like Vitamin E or beta-carotene and hormones, like Vitamin D require some fat in the diet for absorption. Pass the avocado, please!

About Stacy Kennedy

Stacy Kennedy, MPH, RD, CSO, LDN is a Board-Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition and senior clinical nutritionist for Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Hospital Cancer Care, Harvard Medical School teaching affiliates, in Boston. Stacy created and serves as project manager and lead writer for Nutrition Services content on the award-winning, Dana-Farber website and affiliated Nutrition app. Her app and cancer video series have been featured in popular press and industry magazines. Stacy is regularly featured in TV, radio, podcasts, documentary films and print media.
Stacy teaches nutrition at Simmons College. She co-founded her private practice, Wellness Guides, LLC and works as a nutrition consultant and advisor for numerous businesses and non-profit organizations in the health, wellness, food and technology spaces. She is former Chief Wellness Officer and currently sits as an Advisor for AVA, a tech-nutrition startup leveraging artificial intelligence for meal tracking, planning & expert nutrition coaching. She is featured in Lighter, the plant-based nutrition-tech tool for meal planning.
Stacy is an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor. Stacy received a B.S. in Dietetics from Indiana University, completed her Dietetic Internship at Massachusetts General Hospital and earned a Masters in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
She enjoys yoga, running, cooking and caring for her husband, sons and dogs.